Wednesday, December 3, 2014

You know when Al Sharpton is invited by the president of the
United States to offer his ideas on how police should conduct themselves on how
to do their jobs in high crime areas, we
are in trouble. For a president so concerned with optics, after frequent,
insensitive mishaps, this is disturbing.

Sharpton, the polarizing race baiter and tax evader has no place in the White House.
The outhouse would be more appropriate. He has done nothing to bring harmony to
the great racial divide that now exists in our country. In fact, he has helped
create it. From planting the seeds of hate in the nascent stage of his then medallion
wearing career in the Tawana Brawley case to the present situation in Ferguson,
MO. Closer to his New York City home he is fanning the flames in the tense
situation awaiting the grand jury decision whether or not to indict a police
officer in the strangle hold death of
Eric Garner, the Staten Island man who was arrested for selling illegal
cigarettes.

Of course, Mr. Brown and Mr. Garner would both be alive
today, if they had heeded police requests to cease and desist. Both were caught
in the commissions of a crime. Should the police have just let them go as some
liberal pundits have posited? Should we allow certain citizens because of the
color of their skin get away with crimes to avoid the rage and destruction we
witnessed in the aftermath of the grand
jury decision in Ferguson?

While the president is trying to assuage the marauding gangs
of rioters but little has been done to help the business owners who lost their
livelihood in the looting and rampaging. Most of these businesses were
minority-owned. These are the citizens who should be held up as role models for
African-American youth to emulate; not the “scumbags,” former basketball star
Charles Barkley’s words. Perhaps the most egregious offense in the rioting was
the burning down of the African-American church attended by Michael Brown’s
father. What possible reason could there
be for this? And if you can believe it the pastor of the church blamed white
supremacists for the torching! This demonstrates the level of delusion and anarchy
in the African-American community.

In an ironic twist, Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, NJ, hasrequested additional police officers to
respond to the Thanksgiving weekend of
violence where there were 11 shootings and 3 fatalities and multiple injuries.
Mayor Baraka should be lauded for this action. While the police aren’tperfect by and large they are our only hope
to keep us safe – all of us.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Now that the dust has cleared from last Tuesday’s Republican
victory at the polls we are sure of only one thing: more dust is on the way.
The spin coming out of the Liberal media that the blowout doesn’t necessarily
mean the last two years of the Obama administration cannot still be productive
is akin to what our youth soccer and little leagues have evolved to. Nobody
loses and we are better for the experience of being in the game.

When one political side loses these days, it’s not a
repudiation of their philosophy, it’s a communication problem. Their message
wasn’tenunciated properly. In fact, in
this past election it was overly enunciated by the deafening silence on the
administration’s six-year record . Almost
every Democrat candidate running would rather have been seen with Jack the Ripper
than President Obama.

An editorial in the Chinese newspaper, Global Times, put it
in stark terms: “He (Obama) has done an insipid job, offering nearly nothing to
his supporters. U.S. society has grown tired of his banality.” Ouch.

Mr. Obama used to be fond of saying that elections have
consequences. But that only applies to Democrat victories. The arrogance and
threats that he will act unilaterally on issues he feels important harkens back
to the Nixonian era.But this virulent
strain is more monarchical, even tyrannical.

Perhaps the president’s most troubling statement is that he is also thinking about the two-thirds
of the electorate that sat out last Tuesday. He seems more beholden to this
apatheticconstituency than the folks
who exercised their voices so their government could hear them.

When the next stalemate materializes, look for the
president to blame his ubiquitous foil, the obstructionist Republicans. This was already
evident at the White House luncheon the president hosted for the leaders of
both parties, who looked like they’d rather be in a dentist’s chair getting a
root canal. Unless consensus can be found in the next two years to get the
country moving again we might all opt for the root canal.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

When October comes around with its welcomed chill and
variegated pallet, I delve into my most cherishedfamily tradition – making wine. If you are of
Italian extraction as I am you don’t have to delve too deeply into the past to find a forebear who made wine. For me it
was my grandfather.

This is my 37th year of wine making and each and
every year has brought aunique
satisfaction. My friend and I whom I started making wine withall those years ago now make it separately
but still exchange notes and bottles throughout the year. And yes, lament the
fact of the ever increasing price
ofCalifornia grapes. When we started,
the price for a 42-lb case was $12; today for a 36-lb. casethe price is $40. Together, there were
timeswe made 100 gallons; now, we each
make separately about 25.

Throughout the years we have accumulateda wealth of experience anda more discerning palate. We have
tinkeredand tweaked our recipes to
producea most enjoyable wine every
year. And it’s absolutely all pure, fermented grape juice, no additives. As a
result it has a short life span: from December to May. It peaks in March but by
that time more than half of the stash of bottles hasbeen dispensed as welcomedChristmasor birthday gifts to friends and family.

When I seesomeone
take that first sip of the new wine and exclaim how wonderful it is, it makes
the painstaking job of making it all
worthwhile. But it also reminds me of my grandfather in his wine cellar. Myself
and mytwo older cousins would look on while
pilfering small bunches of grapes to eat.We’d watch him turn the crank of his grape crusher until he was
finishedwith the first step in the
process. He’d clean his equipment and we’d help; then he would pour us kids a
small glass from the vintage of the year before. It sure didn’t taste like the
wine I make now. It had a much rougher edge to it. It wasn’t as smoothor hadhints of cherry or blackberry notes like the Cabernet SauvignonI’ve made in the past and am making this year.
No his was a heartier fare to enjoy
after a hard day’s work, contributing to the building of this great country.

I’m sorry I never had the opportunity to clink glasses of my
wine with my grandfather, he would have been very proudthat I had kept up the tradition as I am of
him for handing it down to me. Salud, grandpa.

Monday, September 15, 2014

In 1974 a referendum on legalized gambling failed to pass in
New Jersey. Two years later it did. And the power brokers who were pushing for
it then wouldhave made sure it was on the ballot until it did pass. It was important, it was said, to add to the state’s
coffers and support new state initiatives and
education. Ah, education – the black
hole of American politics. Thirty–eight years later, politiciansare still carping about the need for more
funds for education.

The salty air was full of promise of revitalizing Atlantic City.
All those mom and pop businesses: shops, cafes and restaurants that had been relegated to the dust heap of
urban decaywould once again enjoya booming patronage. Never happened.
Oncea casino was built it became an
all-encompassing entity. All your needs could be obtained therein with a
plethora of diningoptions in the hotels
themselves. Why would you want your
clienteleleaving your premises for any reason while they still had two rubles left in their pockets to lose. If anything,gambling in Atlantic City spawned pawn shops
and prostitution. And catered to the addictions of thrill seekers. And its
fabledSteel Pier, a family attraction
for generations, was dismembered. Why
would you want kids distracting from their parents' time onthe casino floor. Better to let the whippersnappers stay at home while
mom and dad thinned out their college
funds.

Big players were offered comped rooms. How many times did I
hear friends and acquaintancesboast of “being comped,” as if it was some endearing invitation from
their friends at Caesars or Trump’s or Harrah’s or Resorts the first
casino to open in 1978. “Being comped ,” to these slubs, carried James Bondian
status but even Moneypenny would have seen through the subterfuge.

Then there were the senior bus rides from all over New
Jersey, enticing senior citizens to enjoyan exciting day awayfrom the
doldrums of old age. With an added bonus of getting $25 in quartersfor the slots and, in some cases, a complementary free lunch. Coming up with
activities where our seniors could blow their Social Security checks – now
that’s community-minded altruism.

The final straw in the demise of paradise by the sea was a
hostof casinos going down for the third
time, drowning in an ocean of red ink, especially thetwo-year-old Revel, acasino builtcosting $2.4 billion. Itwasjust soldto Florida's Polo North Country Club
for $90 million and will be reborn, so a spokesman says, as a “mega casino,” pending
court approval. The new ownersmust
still believe the adage that a fool and his money go separate ways. Or, as P.T.
Barnumonce said, “There’s a sucker born
every minute.”

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Another American journalist has reportedly been beheaded by
another blood thirsty, ISIS jihadi. Early reports indicate it may be the same
man who beheaded James Foley. I am curious as to how the Obama administration
will spin and vacillate over this latest horror. We know how the president
handled the last execution – a tepid speech followed by a round of golf. With
nary a wince for Mr.Foley’s parents.

These last few months have seemed to unravel any notion that
we are safe and secure in America. The southern border continues to spurt
strangers with little or no documentation. Then there’s the thousands of
Central American children who trekked north, many all alone. Some with diseases
and other problems saddling border towns witheconomichardship. In such a
scenario are we being alarmist thinking that the very people who are murdering
in the name of religion have found their way here as easily as unaccompanied
children.

The international picture continues to be bleak. China and
Russia continue their expansionist policies. Remember when both the Soviet
Union and China accused the United States of being an imperial power? And there
were plenty of voicesin this country
who agreed with that assessment. That liberal argument has collapsed under the weight of its own incredulity.

At least in those days, though, we had a cohesive foreign policy, presided over by an engaged chief executive. Now our foreign policy seems to be formulatedon the fly by a host of incompetent advisors . Sometimes not. The president announced
last week he has no strategy as of yet to deal with ISIS. Pronouncements like
these should scare the hell out of all Americans. Just as the horrific images
being splashed across social media of Steven Sotloff being murdered.

Mr.Presidentdo
something to assuage the grief of Mr. Sotloff’s family. Do something to help the innocent
people being herded into dead marches and mass graves. If you’re not up to it; or have
checked out like so many of your critics have said, then step down. Our
constitution allows for the transfer of power when a president is
incapacitated. For whatever reason we seem to have breached this territory. You’d
have so much more free time for fund raising and socializing with your elitist
friends. And, for golf of course.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

The conflict in Gaza seems to be following the usual
paradigm. Charges and counter–charges by the principals. Civilians being murdered,
armaments stored in hospitals and schools. Who can say with certainty what is
true and what is not. As the ancient Greek Aeschylus said, “In war, truth is
the first casualty.”

Another fragile cease
fire seems to be holding for the time being. How long will it last? A few days;
a few weeks; a few months? All that can be said with certainty is -- it will not last.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a quandary for the ages.
Indeed, the whole of the Middle East is a Rubik’s cube of misery ever since the British
and French divided the spoils of the Ottoman Empire into colonial fiefdoms they
figured to exploit to enrich the home front with the mother’s milk of
industrialization: oil. It was to their advantage to have friendly, and, in
some cases, ruthlessautocracies in
place to maintain the status quo. But with the Arab spring and its aftermath we
are seeing an unraveling ofthe region. The one constant has been the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In the latest chapter, the pendulum of
support seems to be favoring the Palestinian side. Because of the disproportionate
amount of fatalities , world opinion is shifting toward Israel’s enemies for
the first time. In Europe and the US, demonstrations against Israel are
becomingmore frequent and vociferous.
There is palpable support
for the Palestinians and it continues to grow.

Unfortunately, only more misery lies ahead for them. Their
country is non-contiguous, governed(and I use that term loosely) by two ruling factions which cannot unite
in any meaningful way. Hamas in Gaza has
remained stridentin its goal to destroy
Israel. The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, more moderate than Hamas
but just as intransigent, can only lament the proliferation of more Jewish settlements
on their land.

What’s next. Another tenuous truce. More non-productive
peace talks; then, if Israel decides not
to re-occupy Gaza, more Hamas rockets will rain down on the Israelis. And they will respond more forcefully again.

General MacArthur had it right when he said, “War’s very object is victory, not prolonged
indecision.” In this war the object is more indecision, not victory.

Friday, July 25, 2014

As we approach the upcoming mid-term elections in November,
the most interesting development is the sight of Mitch Romney stumping forRepublican candidates. After his defeat in
2012, he affirmed his attention not to run for president again. But the thought
that he might give it another try is
intriguing.

Perhaps this notion
is fueled by my reading of Patrick Buchanan’s, “The Greatest Comeback.” It’s the
story of Richard Nixon’s improbable election in 1968, after being humiliated in
the 1962 California gubernatorial race, and after being narrowly defeated by John
Kennedy, just two years earlier. Incidentally, Nixon's biggest challenger for the GOP nomination in 1968 was Mitt's father, Gov. George Romney of Michigan.

Romney must see the weak field in both the Democratic and
Republican camps. The two early front runners: Hillary Clinton and Chris
Christie are attenuating as each day goes by. Secretary Clinton is practicing
self-immolation. Her tepid memoir, “Hard Choices,” is a complete flop. No
substance whatsoever and her recordat
the State department hardly stellar. And her penurious pronouncements while she rakes in $250,000 per speech beyond ridiculous. Christie on the other hand, is trying to distance
himself from former best bud, Barack Obama, criticizing the president for his handling of the
influx of immigrants pouring over our southern border. But Texas governor, Rick
Perry, also a possible candidate in 2016, has this issue in his backyard and back pocket.

In addition, Christie has alienated many Republicans by his
lack of support for Rob
Astorino, the Westchester County Executive who is challenging New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo
in November. He has termed Astorino’s quest a “lost cause.” This
pronouncement might very well be the biggest Christie blunder to date. The
whole Bridgegate affair notwithstanding.

Cuomo is now under fire forhis lack of support for the Moreland Commission. A commission he set up
to root out corruption in his state’s political system after a host of elected
officials were implicated in unsavory practices. This could very well damage
Cuomo in the coming months. Enough to catapult Astorino?Who knows? But it certainly changes the game.
It will be interesting to see if Romney offers his support to Cuomo’s
challenger.

There has been much said about the mistakes Romney made in
the last presidential election. His message may be resonating with the nation
now and he has certainly proven his ability to adapt to changing scenarios. But make no mistake it would be an uphill
battle of Nixonian proportions.

Friday, June 20, 2014

For the last few years my friends have been lamenting the
fall of America. “It’s over,” they say resignedly as if we should all lay down
our pin numbers for the masses invading our southern border and pleadfor mercy from the new progressive elitists
who seem firmly entrenched in the new power structure.

Our mesmerizing president, well still mesmerizing now to
only a handful of stalwarts, has lulled our country into a quiescent
unconsciousness. The Middle East is in chaos yet President Obama found time
last weekend to play golf and attend a few fundraisers; our economy , the nuts and bolts of it anyway, is
disintegrating before our eyes. Food and fuel prices continueto rise unabated. Yet, because the
moneychangers on Wall Street are propping up the stock market with help from
the Federal Reservewe are being sold a
bill of goods about a faux recovery.

Everythingit seems
has a shiny veneer . But when you look closer you can see the peeling paint. The
same façade exists in the world of show business. Instead of any type of
entertainment with intrinsic value like the mini-series, “Roots,” or “Shogun, “
or “Lonesome Dove,” of yesteryear, we are being fed the pablum of reality
television or being tortured with the constant bombardmentof hype about J Lo or Kim Kardashian. This
fits in well in the Obama era.

An older friend, long gone, used to say we always had the
right president for the times. Prescient thinking. Our president , like the
aforementioned divas of de-evolution, has a pretty face and little else. He is
the right president for this time. This being the Era of Shallowness. He is a man who constantly stumbles and mumbles and
bungles; whose initiatives always miss the mark; he always never knows what’s
happening around him or just out and out lies. He shouldbe censured by Republicans and clear-conscious Democrats alike. They should
be talking about impeachment for abuse of power. And lack of leadership.

Yes, old friend we do have the right presidentfor the times. As an added bonus we also have the right
Congress to match.

Monday, June 9, 2014

The liberal media is awashpraising Hillary Clinton for her serviceas secretary of state To anyone
who has outgrown crayolas and coloring books one might be a bit put offby such approbation. From the moment her
staff sought to “reset” with the Russians early in 2009, and bungledthe translation it setin motion one of the most lackluster forays
in world diplomacy.

But according to an editorial that appeared in the Sunday
New York Timesby Nicholas Kristof, a
frequent Hillary cheerleader, she was a “trailblazing diplomat.” According to
Kristof, some politicians have trouble articulating all the wonderful things
they’ve accomplished. This was basically
a defense of her tepid response when asked this past April about her legacy at
the State Department. It reminded me of the same inarticulate,sputtering Ted Kennedy when he was asked
in 1980 why he wanted to president. Red-faced and flustered, he hemmed and
hawed at this softball question but
couldn’t come up with a valid reason.

Thankfully for Hillary her sycophants will fill in the
blanks for her. That is if she decides to run. So far she is following the
paradigm of a presidential candidate two years in advance of an election. Her
book, “Hard Choices,” due out soon, will reveal little, keeping any
controversies at bay. One, though, bound to be scrutinized is her choice for
the title of her memoirs “Hard Choices.” This was the title of Cyrus
Vance’sbook; Vance served as President
Carter’s secretary of state. One can’t help but draw parallelsto the challenges they both faced in the Middle East . Vance had to
deal with the Iranian hostage crisis. Hillary was the architect of the Arab
spring and was taking kudos for it until this wonderful, regional, democratic revolution took
a turn southward in a massive blood bath.

But back to Kristof. UnlikeJames Baker, “she didn’t craft a coalition of allies”; “didn’t seal a
landmark peace agreement.” “No her legacy is different.” Indeed it is steeped
inesoterica like addressing poverty,
the enviroment, education and family planning. Important,? Sure hardly earth
shattering concepts. And, oh yeah, and she also noted, like millions of others,
the importance of using social media.

“But give her credit,” according to Kristof.“She expanded
the diplomatic agenda and adopted new tools to promote it – a truly important
legacy.”Or is it?

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

“We have met the enemy and he is us,” so said a Pogo cartoon
of some years ago. It couldn’t be more true today than it was for the Roman
empire a millennium and a half ago. Are we really celebrating the heroism of this man. The puzzling aspect of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s
release is disturbing when one takes into account the revelations emerging from
this incident and what, if anything, it has to do with obfuscating the VA
scandal of last week.

First there’s questions of how he was captured. Some of
the members of his platoon have said he deserted his post. Six GI’s were killed
trying to rescue him. Five Taliban savages were released from Guantanamo to
secure his release. They’ll soon be back in the jijad looking to separate
infidels from their heads.

Bergdahl’s father inexplicably spoke to him in Arabic
welcoming him back to freedom. Outgoing press secretary, Jay Carney, spoke in
the platitudes he has become infamous for, about the release. He was quoted, as was President Obama
saying Americans never leave anyone behind. It’s a great ideal to adhere to but
hardly etched in stone; and is usually reserved for the most elite military
personnel who take on the most dangerous missions. Never thought it would be
applied to a soldier with questionable character who may have deserted. Right now there’s a marine
being held in a Mexican jail by our friends south of the border. Why hasn’t his
release been secured.

It was reported that Bergdahl was a private when he
disappeared but he returns as a sergeant? How was he promoted leaving his post,
endangering his American brothers and sisters. There’s more twists and turns in
this story than there is in a Rubik’s cube. But can we depend on the feckless
media to dig into this story? Or the VA scandal for that matter?

Every Obama bungle ( and they’re getting too numerous to
count) gets swept under the rug with the rapidity of a hobo on a ham sandwich.
Any media person who questions any administration proclamations is figuratively
tarred and feathered as a right wing extremist.

If the president thought this prisoner exchange would make
the VA scandal disappear he is wrong like so many other times. Every effort he
makes to mitigate the coming fallout in the upcoming fall elections results in
more separation with mainstream America.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

There was a sportscaster who used to say, “the wheels are
coming off now,” to denote a sports team in the throes of a thorough thrashing.
One could borrow the phrase to describe thefloundering Obama administration especially now with thelatestrevelation regarding military veterans not getting the adequate and
timely care they deserve from the Veterans' Administration.

When the president found out about inconsistencies in record
keeping, long waits and fatalities, according to CNN as many as 40 veterans died waiting for
medical treatment, he was appalled and promised to get to the bottom of the
situation. Indeed , anytime an inconvenient truth rears its ugly head the
president resorts to his default position, feigning ignorance, then promising
to resolve said situation.

Don’t expect to see the president with those affected by the
tragedies that occurred at the VA. He only appears in the public spotlight when
those victimized support one of his initiatives. In this case, he’ll send some
junior-level officers to try and assuage the family members affected. And, of
course, they’ll have no information about what happened or why it happened.
These are common threads in this administration.

He seems to have not known about “Fast and Furious,” the IRS harassment of conservative
fund-raising groups, the glitches
inherent in the Obamacare website roll out. He was incommunicado during the
Benghazi tragedy. This pattern lends credence to the criticism many of his distractors
adhere to:that he is not engaged in his
position or is incompetent. Or my feeling, that his incompetence is matched
only by his high-handed tendencies. And his sheer distaste for accepting
responsibility for anything other than a terrible golf game.

Perhaps in between the
accolades bestowed upon him by the Hollywood elites at fund-raising events; his
frequent vacations, putting on the verdant greens of some of the best courses in
the country, he can convene an occasional cabinet meeting to find out what’s
going on under his watch, if only to make Jay Carney’s spin doctoring look less
tendentious and more informative.

Instead, expect the
Oblivicrats to circle the wagons and point at the president’s predecessor as being responsible for the
current situation in the Veterans Administration. After all, President Bush got
us into these wars.

With an overly
sympathetic media, the president may straddle yet another maelstrom. But I
think to the American electorate, looking forward to the upcoming mid-term
elections, the wheels on this administration
may very well be in need of replacing.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Once again Rutgers Universityhas diminished itselfand shown it doesn’t belong in the upper echelon
of second tier universities. And I’m not talking only about their lackluster
football and basketball programs. I’m talking about the controversy regarding Condoleezza Rice as
the university’s choice to be this year’s commencement speaker.

The opposition’s major problem with Condoleezza Rice was her
involvement in the Iraqi War and the use of water boarding by the Bush
administration. While most of the Democrats did indeed object to water boarding
, they did vote strongly in support of the Iraqi War. Mind you not on principle
but because the overwhelming majority of Americans were behind President Bush’s
military operation. In addition, intelligent sources both domestic and foreign
claimed the Iraqi regime had weapons of mass destruction. In fact, they had already
used them on the Iranians and Kurds.

We know how that story ended. But to place blame on
Secretary Rice would be like blaming Secretary Clinton for the failure of the
Arab spring.

An accomplished, multi-talented woman, Secretary Rice
deserved better. But the voice of the minority (reportedly about 300 students
out of 10,000)has once again scored an unlikelyvictory. How many times will the feeble-minded, 97-lb. weakling score victory after victory over a more accomplishedadversary.

Egging on the dissident students were a few non-descript academicians who could not
even entertain the possibility of teaching in a prestigious university like
Stanford where Rice teaches and has served as provost.

Preening around these daysas a card-carrying member of the intelligentsia seems pretty simple. All
you have to do is take the ultra-liberal contrarian view on common sense issues.
It might even land you a spot on the Al Sharpton Show. Some of the Rev.
Sharpton’s best friends are African-American but I doubt Secretary Rice would
be in that number. Any accomplished, free thinkers in the African-American
community seem anathema to Sharptonand
his associates.

Rice took the high road. An elevation the undistinguished,
faculty members whocondemned her
appearance will never reach. But what perturbs me is why take the high road?
Why be at the mercy of the minority. Why always acquiesce? Why compromise? Why
give the opponents of free speech andthe
open exchange of ideas even the slimmest
of victories? If we don’t stand up for our beliefs as free Americans that right
may be taken from us.

So nowformer NJ Gov.
Kean will be the commencement speaker. It should be a safe choice. Perhaps the
president of the Left-Handed Plumbers Union had prior commitments.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Of course the statements by DonaldSterling were abhorrent to men and women of
good will. And NBA Commissioner Silver rightfully declared him persona non grata in
his league. But this whole episode “stinks on ice” to use a phrase from my
grandfather.

This has all the earmarks of a set up. Was this
visor-wearing vixen put up to this mischief; or was she just tryingmuddy the watersto impede the Sterling family from recovering her ill-gotten gains? Or was this a
gambit to force Sterling to sell his team. Some names of potential buyers being bandied about:
Oprah, P Diddy, Magic Johnson and Floyd Mayweather. Hmnn.

Also, why was the NAACP set to award Mr. Sterling with a second lifetime
humanitarian achievement award even though they wereaware of his past indiscretions.

In at least two instances, Mr. Sterling was implicated in
biased behavior. First involving Clippers’ general manager, Elgin Baylor and
then again for discriminatory practices regardingproperty rentals to minority tenants in his
vast real estate empire. Was the NCAAP as easily bought off as hucksters like Reverends
Jackson and Sharpton that they would give this bigot an award to ameliorate his
image?

This kind of hypocrisy does more to perpetuate racism as
does the off putting remarks from African- Americans who adhere to the same
vitriol as Sterling. Rev. Jackson and his “Hymietown” remark. Rev. Sharpton and
his involvement in the Tawana Brawley case and the incineration of Freddie’s, a
Harlem haberdashery, run by, Sharpton’s term, “ a white interloper.” In the
case of Freddie’s, seven fatalities resulted from the fire. And what about that
firebrand, Rev. Jeremiah Wright preaching sermon after sermon of
divisiveness.In terms of sheer hatred
Rev. Wright, though, comes in a distant second to Louis Farrakhan whose
machinations rival Herr Eichmann.

Where are the men and women of color to speak
against these bigots? Too often they are silent. Until they can find it in
themselvesto condemn racist remarks by
other than white racists there will be no real progress in the fight against
bigotry. And are we to believe no racist remarks were ever
uttered by African-Americans or Asian-Americans?

Monday, April 28, 2014

Wasn’t it amusing to hear about the rift between casino
magnate Steve Wynnand actor/ Tequila
salesman George Clooney in regard to his so-called “friend” President Barack
Obama. Typically, like the high strung, naïvechild actors are, George stormed off.

Sure the president is his good friend because of all the
money he raises for the Obama agenda. And he, like other Hollywood stars, make unusually large sums of money
manufacturing, for the most part, mediocre material. They like talking the talk(
especially when someone else is writing the words for them, making them sound
far more intelligent than they are). But how about walking the walk?

They seem to be at
one with every liberal cause. They happily sit at fund-raising dinners
sometimes for as much as $100,000 a ticket. Why not take a portion of these
exorbitant dinner prices and help the poor and downtrodden at the local level
and eliminate the middle men and women who spend most of the booty
disseminating propaganda and consolidating power.

Prior to the heated exchange. Wynn,Clooney and partner Rande Gerber, was discussing future
business opportunitiessupplying Wynn
hotels and casinos with Casamigos Tequila,a company Clooney and Gerber are affiliated with.

Gerberintimates that
the argument was not about politics, “it was about George standing up for a
friend.” Everything about Obama is politics. If Mr. Wynn wished to express his
displeasure with the Obama
administration he has the right. I’m surprised Mr. Clooney didn’t go to DEFCON
1 and assert Mr. Wynn was a racist the default comment when anyone criticizes
this woeful administration.

All politicians have two things in common they want power
and they want legacy. In Obama’s case the subterfuge has reached critical mass.
With his poll numbers dropping
precipitously and his cache abroad diminishing, George has his work cut out for
him if he wants to stand up for his friend.

In the meantime, Mr. Wynn should re-think serving Casamigos
in his establishments. And taking a page out of the Rev. Sharpton playbook , we should all boycott George’s
tequila.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

When your own mother doesn’t want you to run for president
you should heed her advice. Jeb Bush is as likely to be elected president as Harry
Reid is to go through a day without lying.

I cringe every time the idea of another Bushrunning for president is uttered. Nothing
against the man personally.I happen to
like soft, pudgy men who remind me of the Pillsbury Doughboy. But in 2016 we’re
going to needmore than someone who
reminds us of flaky pastry to right the ship of state and I don’t think Jeb
Bush is the candidate to do it. Can you see him facing off against Iron Man
Vladimir Putin. Granted he couldn’t do any worse than our present-day, straw
man president – Mr. Red Line. But the international community will need a
dynamic, American leader who will go toe-to-toe with the likes of: Kim Jong-un, Xi Jinping and Bashar Assad and
the aforementioned Mr. Putin.

Moreover, a Bush candidacy
reeks of the dynasty issue that seems to
be of little consequence to American voters in this day and age. Couple
anotherBush run with another likely Clinton run and the underlyingmessage is that the great unwashed need not apply.

We’ve been seeing with more and more frequencythe sons and daughters, nephews and nieces of
former office holders and hacksrunning
for any office that avails itself. Members of the Carter, Kennedy, Cheney, Graham and Nunn families have announced their
intentions tofollow the family tradition and seek office. Add to that the
names Begich, Graham, Pryor, Cuomo,
Landrieu, Brown, political scions all -- who havealready been elected and you get a general idea that our democracy is
taking on anoligarchic flavor.

We know name recognition is important in a political
campaign. That’s the reason a lot of “name” candidates get the nod to run in the first
place. And it’s distressing that this paradigm trumps dedication and a burning desire to
solve problems and help people.

The political class is an emerging entity in the United
States. And why not? It seems politics is the easiest way to riches these days.
Dirt poor candidates like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama who had never held any
job other than a political or public one come in with nothing but leave with
much. In local political offices this is
even more palpable. Politics like the old neighborhood butcher shop has become
a hand me down career. But when thinking about a political run your mother’s
advice is worth listening to.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

It’s comedic all the controversy surrounding theshoe throwing incident involving former
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Pundits have come out of the woodwork
speculating that the whole incident was staged. For exactly what purpose – who
knows. What difference at this point does it make. To borrowa phrase.

When it comes to the Clintons everything they do seems
calculated for ulterior motives. In this latest episode in Las Vegas a woman,
identified as Alison Ernst, threw a shoe at Madam Hillary who was speaking to a
group about solid waste management. Initially she thought the projectile was a bat. A thrown
shoe actually behaves differently in flight than a bat. Former Senator Clinton
seems to know a lot more about solid wastethan airborne rodents.

But was the whole incident staged? The Clintons have a
history of being accused of staging events. There was the time when President
Clinton was seen on Omaha Beach in Normandy during the 50th anniversary of
D-Day when he, extemporaneously bent down and formed a cross near a pile of
stones in commemoratingall those who
lost their lives in that bloody invasion. We found out later those stones were put there by the president’
staff.

Then there was the time, post-Lewinsky, when the Clintons,
in an effort to save their marriage were seen dancing affectionately close on a
beach in the Virgin Islands, signaling to the world that indeed they had
weathered the marital maelstrom. Was there any doubt that this most political
of marriages wouldn’t survive?

Then, there was the Congressionalhearing about the attack on Benghazi where
our ambassador and three others were murdered. Secretary Clinton stalled her appearance
because of a blood clot many thought was contrived to fashion a plausible
account of events that wouldn’t damage any future political aspirations.

Thefact that her tenure as Secretary of State yielded
meager results was inconsequential. Yet it was applauded by most media outlets
for the sheer amount of miles she logged globe hopping. Abraham Lincoln might
have said of her accomplishments, “they were about as thin as the broth made
from the shadow of a starving crow.”

So, whether the incident in Vegas was staged or real – it
makes no difference. The media will always spin it positively . Of course when
the Iraqi journalist tossed a shoe at George W. Bush it was deemed a great disrespect.
For Madam Hillary it was just another day on a lucrative promotional speech
tour.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

When reports surfaced about the shabby treatment of hotel
workers at the Beijing Westin Hotel by members of Barack Obama’s familyand their omnipresent hangers-on entourage I
wasn’t surprised.

Those of the left-leaning persuasion always seem to be above
the rhetoric they spew for the benefit of the rest of us. The $8350 a night suite the
first lady and her mother luxuriated in was paid by the Obamas we are told. The
concomitant security -- probably ten times the cost of the opulent digs -- was
borne by U.S. taxpayers. Of course this is a hallmark of the profligate Obamas.
They love a free ride.

They talk incessantly about everyone doing their fair share
andleveling the playing field. Then they
vacation, it seems ad infinitum, at the tonier places in the world. Where they
expect to be treated like royalty.

It was no surprise to hear that the staff at their hotel in China complained of being mistreated by the
czarina’s mother as was reported in the foreign press, which has become the
go-tosource for any objective reporting
(dare I say Fox News)about the reign of
the Obamas. I have often thought the adage that a person’s character is
revealed by the way they treat people who cannotoffer them anything in returnis a true barometer of integrity. And
integrity is a gift a person gives to his/her self.

The Obamas mirror the same “white trash” veneer, with the
obvious difference, that marked the early Clinton era. While they are polar
opposites to the Bush,Reagan and Carter eras where class and probity were
palpable to the unbiased eye.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The next time you hear a politician say he or she needs to
be elected so they can help the middle class, I’d recommend voting for their
opponent. But most likely the opponent will be spewing the same schpiel.
Because the only thing a politician can do, especially liberal Democrat
politicians, is to deliver the middle class to the lower classes. In 2008 ,
presidential candidate Barack Obama chose Sen. Joe Biden for his running mate.
Sen. Biden would be entrusted, we were told, with helping and sustaining the
middle class. Six years later I have yet to hear of one initiative as the
middle class continues to contract. I tend to agree with Clint Eastwood, who,
when addressing the Republican Convention in 2012 described Vice President
Biden as a “grin with a
body behind it.”

Pithy platitudes aside, we have not seen any real economic
progress. There is no recovery. Remember shovel-ready jobs? There are just talking
head politicians and wannabe politicians skulking around promising a piece of
the American Dream. Unfortunately, the American Dream is on life support.

It was predicated on the premise that if you worked hard you
could succeed. All you had to do was take advantage of the cornucopia of opportunities
available. A lot of those opportunities have packed up and left and they ain’t
coming back.

One of the most often used lines by candidates is that they
want to give everyone an opportunity to succeed – just as their immigrant
families have. They wheel out their
time-honored family history. The patriarch or matriarch entered the country; penniless,
of course. And worked their way out of the old neighborhood; saved some money,
bought a house; sent their kids to college. Garnered for themselves a piece of
the American Dream. And that’s what they want for everyone. And this time
they’re going to fast track you to the American Dream. With short cuts so it
won’t be so hard this time.

It won’t be a generational wait. It begins to happen as soon
as you cast your vote. They’re promising away the very essence, the core value
of the middle class. That working hard
is your ticket to the next rung on the ladder.

Every time I hearabout all these new, non-existent opportunities to help every one get to
the middle class, it has a strange
similarity to the housing give-a-way disaster a few years back. We know where
that left us. Unless people work for what they get they never appreciate it. And
if you give them something for nothing, they’ll always abuse it.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

We’ve all heard the story of the selfless, peripatetic,
country doctor trudging through the chilly night to tend to one of his patients
in need. Well, during a now bygone era, there were also many urban doctors who
were equally dedicatedto their profession
who put their patients and Hippocratic oath before
all monetary emoluments.

One such doctor was Dr. Herbert E. Poch, a local legend, who
passed last week at the age of 86. Dr. Poch was a caring, loving,pediatrician. He was also a great teacher of
young parents of which I was one when I made his acquaintance shortly
afterthe birth of our first child. He
came highly recommended from everyone we asked. And my wife andI will forever be in his debt.

When my oldest
daughter collapsed into a seizure one early spring morning, we panicked. I
grabbed thefive-year-old, strapped her into her car seat and rushed herto the emergency room at our local hospital.

My anxiety level continued to spike upon my arrival. The
emergency room doctors were unknown to me. And facing a serious situation of
which I knew nothing, I began raising my voice for assistance. After a seemingly
inordinate amount of timehad passed, they
took my daughter into an examining room and suggested a spinal tap. At that
point I really knew it was serious. As I paced the waiting room with my wife
who met me there, both of us had no idea of the extent of the danger. As we
stared at the door waiting for someone to come out andtell us what was going on, we both were
imagining worst case scenarios. Until the door opened and out came Dr. Poch. No
one had summoned him. He was just making his normal rounds when he heard about
the little girl who was brought in by a frantic father. The girl just happened
to be his patient.

He was wearing a surgical gown and had been present for the
procedure. The first thing out of his mouth, “she’s out of danger; she’s going
to be alright.” A quarter century has gone by but I still vividly remember his
reassuring image. And indeed, everything was alright – thanks to him.

We were sad when he retired. No other pediatrician could
follow that act. But he went on to do so much more after he retired from
practice. He began teaching full-time, disseminating his wisdom to post-graduate
medical residents. He remained active in charitable work, being honored with
several awards. He was even honoredwith
a proclamation on the floor of the U.S. Congress for his extraordinary service
to children and his community.

Every once in a while you meet a real life saint. Dr. Poch
was such a man. Early mornings on my way to work, passing his office, I’d see
him enjoying a walk with his dog. Such a soothing sight. After his walk, he would
sit at his desk for an hour or so to field questions over the phonefrom parents, dispensingadvice and setting worried minds at ease. If
I hadn’t known him in the flesh, Norman Rockwell would surely have created him.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Phil Jackson was recently hired by the New York Knicks to
head up a floundering franchise which last won a championship in 1973. Everyone
has trumpeted his arrival as some cataclysmic event -- indeed there were standing ovations at the Garden when he was
first introduced as the new president of the Knicks. I don’t think the desired
results -- another championship --will be
attained in the new Jacksonian era despite blanket approval for the hire.

Unless I’m missing something this guy looks way too laid
back to navigate the alleyways of
Manhattan. He’d be much more comfortable in sandals and cutoffs in Santa Monica
or Venice Beach.

Yeah, he’s been part of 11 championships. And yes he did
play for theKnicks under Red Holzmanhis esteemed mentor. And has dealt with
mercurial characters: Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaq and Dennis Rodman. And
he has produced results, monumental results. But that was as a coach, not an
executive who will have to make personneland financial decisions. Of course, he and GM Steve Mills will be able
to hire other executives to handle themundane chores of running a franchise. While he pockets a cool $12 plus million a year.

To Phil Jackson, this is a win-win. He gets the money, snubs
his nose at the Lakers for passing him over for a similar role, most notably by
the brother of his fiancée, Jeanie Buss. (By the way how long has she been his fiancée,
anyway?)

This whole affair looks like one big ego stroking for a guy
who hasn’t been in the spotlight for a while but loves it. And going against
the grain here, I don’t see any championships down the road in the term of Jackson’s
contract. The Knicks were much better off with Donnie Walsh running the
franchise. He was astute enough to know that trading for Carmelo Anthony was a
stupid move, when he could have been gotten him as a free agent in the off
season without sacrificing young talent. But Knicks’ owner James Dolan insisted
on getting Carmelo which hastened the departure of Walsh, whose Pacers, by the
way, are vying for a championship THIS year. And to his credit Walsh had the
sense to know that Anthonyis toxic to a
championship team.

Can Carmelo sacrifice his game for the good of a team
concept? The Knicks are not missing role players they’re missing
weight-supporting columns. Players like those don’t like prima donnas who think
the game revolves around them. Who, as soon as they get their hands on the ball
crossing half court monopolize it. How many last second shots has Carmelo
missed this season with the game on the line? When the chips are down in the
fourth quarter, great players find a way to win.

Well here’s hoping good luck to the long suffering Knick
fans. Hope it works out but I doubt it will.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Guess we need a re-re-set button now that apparently our
president has exhausted all his promised flexibility with his good friend
Vladimir Putin. From the very beginning this administration had all the
trappings of the high school kids who take over the city council for a day and
go through the motions of running the town until the grown upsre-assume their rightful places.
Unfortunately there aren’t any grown-upsin the Obama administration who can step in and make things right.

Indeed they’ve been taken to school by Vlad and his merry
regime. In the 2012 presidential debates President Obama ridiculed Mr.
Romney for pointing out the grave dangers Russia and her expansionist oligarchs
posed in the world. He was oblivious to Romney's superior insight and said the former Massachusetts governor was locked in a 1980’s time warp. The
president’s naivetéknows no bounds.

Obviously the administration wasn't prepared for the conflagration going
on in the Ukraine. Just as they never seemed to be prepared for any unforeseen situation.
They give new meaning to “ad hoc.” The administration’s cigar store Indian,
dressed up as secretary of state seems equally ineptwhen he invokes phrases that the Russians are
using anachronistic methods in the 21st century. Doesn’t seem to
bother the Russians. They have long coveted a warm weather port and now are on the
verge of getting one in the Crimea and the Russian-speaking population there is
siding with the aggressors.

The Oblivicrats: Reid, Pelosi, Wasserman Schulz will
continue to see wisdom when the majority of Americans see ineptitude. Even many
media outlets are distancing themselves from the presidentbecause there’s still too much time left in
his term and there is nothing positive in sight: the continued displeasure with
Obamacare, the lethargic economy;high
unemployment, gas and food prices; no immigration reform. Indeed the
administration seems more concerned about the sovereignty of the Ukraine
than ours.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed as we eliminate one day at a
time when the mid-term elections arrive next November and hope we can re-set
our own course.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

“I’m very, very happy justice was served,” so said a jubilant
Kerry Kennedy after a six-member jury handed down a not guilty verdict in her driving
under the influence court case. Not much of a shocker. We have been conditioned
to think there is no Kennedy on planet earth who can ever be held
responsible for their own behavior. There seems to be extenuating circumstances
that lurk everywhere like amateurish detectives when the Kennedy clan is
involved.

A couple of years ago her brother was acquitted for an
altercation with two nurses because they would not let him take his newborn son
out of the hospitalfor some fresh air.
Her cousin William Smith was cleared of rape charges in 1992; her cousin Michael
Skakel is awaiting a new trial for his conviction in the murder of Martha
Moxley; her Uncle Ted had a little accident in Chappaquiddickin 1969. In 2006, her cousin
Patrick, a Rhode Island congressman at the time was also found dazed and
confused, though no charges were brought, when his car was involved in an
accident at 2:45 A.M. in the Capitol. Again, like Kerry, a medical mix-up was
the cause. You would thinkeducationsat prestigious
universitieswould enable them to
discernthe differences between pill bottles
and pills since pill popping seems to have replaced touch football as a Kennedy
familysport.

No one will believe Kerry was targeted because of her family name, as her attorneyclaimed after the acquittal.If she was just an average single mom would she have been able to summon
expert testimony to support her claim from a pharmacologist who had worked on
the clinical trials for Ambien one of the drugs allegedly taken in error. Would your average
single mom engage the services of a top tier attorney. Would the average single
mom have access to a propaganda machine extolling her virtuesas a globe-trotting activist superwoman?

To say she was targeted because of who she is, is absurd.
The next time we heara similar case of
a person slumped over the steering wheel of a car asleep after careening another
vehicle, and leaving the scene, do you believethe Kennedy defensewill stand up
in that case?

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

There may not be a better example of liberalelitist hypocrisy than the recent episode of
Mayor de Blasio in New York. It’s the apotheosis of the adage “do as I say not
as I do.” One of the first initiatives of the new administration was to promote
a 62-point safety program to reduce traffic accidents in the city. One of the
main components of the plan is to reduce the speed limit to 25 m.p.h. “We want the public to know,” the mayor said,
“that we are holding ourselves to this standard.” Well not for long.

When the mayor’s entourage was clocked speeding, running red
lights and stop signs two days after announcing his plan, he was justifiably
lampooned in the media.Because of all
the bad press in the aftermath, he decided to address the issue then,
inexplicably, directed reporters to the comments made by the police
commissioner who defended the actions of
the mayor’s detail as being proper
protocol. So far Bratton has been used twice in the span of a few weeks toadd some coverto the mayor’s indiscretions.

A short while prior to this incident, the mayor interceded
for a bishop who, when stopped for a traffic violation , was found to have someoutstanding warrants andwould have been incarcerated had the
mayornot made a call to the police.
Just as he would do for you if you found yourself in a similar circumstance,
I’m sure.

When Commissioner Bratton was asked by reporters if he had a
problem with the mayor calling the precinct commander for the bishop’s release,
in the vaguest of terms said no. He
seems to be acting as de Blasio’s mentor. I know it’s early but I wonder if
Bratton is positioning himself for a run for mayor. Especially when de Blasio’s
act is already starting to get stale two months into his administration. And he
hardly looks like a chief executive especially when juxtaposed against his
predecessor, Mayor Bloomberg.

When de Blasio beats his drum about inequality and injustice
as if he has a monopoly on righteousness, he’d be smart to look within because
the hypocrisy of the far left to actso
concerned with the downtrodden seems to have a double standard. They are in the
1 percent. They and their disciples are immune from the constraintsthe 99 percent of the rest of us must deal with day in and day out. Unless,
of course, someone is willing to pick up the phone on our behalf.

Friday, February 21, 2014

President Obama his rattling his tongue again much like the Soviets
use to rattle sabers in the days of the Cold War. He has decided to voice his
opinion in the latest international skirmish. This one in the Ukraine. And why
not? with all the successes he has had lately in Syria, Iran, Libya and Egypt.

If one were to look in a dictionary for the definition of
the term empty suit,you’d
see a picture of our beleaguered president. You look at him and wonder how a
man with no ability to lead or solve problems could ever have been elected
president. Blunder after blunder after blunder and stillthe fourth estate, well ,what passes for the
fourth estate these days, makes his every move sound intelligent and
inspired.

JFK was inspirational, Steve Jobs was inspirational the
Beatles were inspirational. If the Obama administration been in charge of
procuring talent forthe Ed Sullivan
show 50 years ago, they more than likely wouldhave chosen Freddie and the Dreamers over the Fab Four, given their keen
eye for talent.

In California to speak about the drought emergency, the
president was playing golf on a course using thousands of gallons of water to
maintain its greens. Is he so inept he doesn’tsee the disconnect there. Myopia, apparently, is the hallmark of this
administration.

So now he’s again talking about consequences should the crackdown on the
Ukrainiansabridge their democratic
freedoms as our own government continues
to spy on our people, send drones to kill U.S. citizens without the benefit of
due process and ignore the unsavoryIRS
tactics against opposition parties right here in America.

Should we expect President Putin to impose sanctions against
the U.S. soon?

Monday, February 17, 2014

When Sid Caesar’s death was announced last week, I was sorry
to hear of the passing of a real TV pioneer – a term I reserve for a precious
few. Sid Caesar and his “Your Show of Shows” was a little bit before my time.
But in countless clips andtestimonials
over the years I’ve become familiar with the great contribution he made to not only the
fledgling medium of televisionbut also
to television as hardware. He was one of the few who made owning a television
set as important as Steve Jobs made owning a personal computer decades later.

According to an article in the New York Times when Caesar’s
show hit the airwaves in 1950 only 10 percent of the population owned a
set. A decade laterthat figure had swelled
to 90 percent , largely to people like Caesar and the transmogrified
vaudevillians who became the first TV personalities.

He was one of the first performers to introduce sketch
comedy and recurring characters to the new format. He contorted his face in grotesque
waysand used other physical devices to
garner huge laughsfrom live audiences, not sound tracks. And not only that.His eye for creative writing talent gave
young writers like Neil Simon, Woody Allen and MelBrooks an opportunity to hone their comedic genius.

Sid Caesar was the inspiration for generations of comedians
that would follow. Billy Crystal spoke reverently about
Caesar and the profound effect he had not only on himbut many of his contemporaries. Caesar also germinated the ideas that would
laterlaunch thefuture programming formats of Carl Reiner
(the Dick Van Dyke Show) and Larry Gelbart (Mash).

For me, though, my favorite remembrance of Sid Caesar is the
character he played in It’s a Mad, Mad,
Mad, Mad World. In the film’sstar-studded
cast Caesar plays the even tempered husband of Edie Adams, who tries to find an
equitable solutionfor a host of treasure seekers all intent on
reaching the booty first, until he too, succumbs to the avarice.

It’s too bad that his career flickered instead of flamed.
For there are several generations who have grownup not appreciating Caesar’s significant contributionto popular culture and TV set sales.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Before Sgt. Pepper , the Maharishi, Yoko Ono, the internecine
in-band haggling , there was an event so mesmerizing it was witnessed by 40% of
the population on a mid-winter night in 1964. An event that in the expanse of
three months had eclipsed the assassination of JFK in historic significance.
The Beatles single-handedly expunged the malaise of a presidential
assassination.

Timing is everything.Many have said that The Beatles filled a void at a
particular moment in American
history, transformed the American psyche – it did. The naysayers at the time said it was
a fad, a flash in the pan – another P.T. Barnum-like gimmick that would soon
fade like hoola hoopsand coon skin
hats. But 50 years later we are marking the eventwith a myriad of celebrations worldwide.But for most, The Beatles have been cosmic
companions who we haveweavedinto the more intimate fabric of our lives.

The group guided myself and my pubescent friendsalong the periphery of romance, much to the
chagrin of Sr. Cecilia,mysixth grade teacher, who confiscated my
pictures of the band, culled from the pages of Sixteen Magazine and meticulously pasted into the hard covers of a
denuded writing tablet, I passed around to all the girls in class to demonstrate
my coolness. Beatle boots would further attest this premise soon after.

The Beatles provided the soundtrack to our early lives. Local
bands played their songs to the first dances we attended; their music provided
the soundtrackwhile we maneuvered our first stolen kisses and touches; they encouragedour first thoughts of rebellion and independence from our parents.

Of course my friends and Iwere part of the 20 million new
bands that were formed on February 10, 1964. The fact that we didn’t have any
guitars or instruments of any kind did little to dissuade us from our mission.
That we too could be chased around by swarms of girls dying to get at us.

Eventually we did get those guitars; and more importantly learned
to play them. And 50 years later we still get together from time to time, doing
gigs or grabbing the acoustics and playing something from the Beatles’
catalogue.

So much has happened to us all since Ed Sullivan brought The
Beatles to America. John and George are gone as so many of our ownfamily members . I remember my mother hearing a DJ attributing something
to the Beatles circa 1969. She looked at me and asked. “They’re not the same
Beatles from a few years ago, are they?” I simply nodded in the affirmative. And their
music is still with us and I trust it will be for a long, long time.

Monday, February 3, 2014

As I was watching Super Bowl XLVIII , and things looked brutally desperate
for the Denver Broncos, my mind wandered back to those first couple of Super
Bowls when one team looked woefully overmatched by the other. That was the case
this past Sunday. I was thinking seriously about possibly breaking out my paint
brush and doing a wall just so I could
watchthe paint dry. Even that would be
more exciting than the one-sided game.

Interest in the game had already waned by the third quarter when I was informed about
the tragic death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, an actor whom I considered one of
the most gifted of his generation. Sensitive and intense, his presence in any
film lent immediate gravitas to it.

From the first time I
had seen him in the movie, Scent of a
Woman, he displayed an onscreen presence that matched the film’s leading man, Al Pacino. And that, even
then, I thought, was quite an accomplishment for a young actor. Subsequent
films and stage productions he appeared in gained him world wide acclaim and
award nominations even an Oscar. But his flamed flickered out in prologue. And avid
film buffs like myself were hoping for so much more to come.

By all accounts, he was a workaholic as his resume would
attest. And he could be crumpy and curt as has often been said. Once in the
Washington Square Hotel just off the park in the West Village, I was sitting in
the hotel bar chatting with a young, aspiring actor working there in between
auditions. He was telling me about various celebrities who lived in the area: Sam Shepard,
Ron Perlman and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The young man related a story to me about the very private
Mr. Hoffman.

He walked into a coffee shop to find his cell
phone on the fritz and Mr. Hoffman waiting for his coffee. The young man
started shaking his phone, waving it around trying to get it to return it to
functionality. Hoffman saw him and immediately thought he was trying to snap a
picture of him.

The famous actor became quite surly, according to the young
man, saying to him. “Hey, we all live in this neighborhood and we all should be
afforded a certain degree of privacy. No pictures, please.”

The young man responded he had no intention of taking pictures,
he was only trying to get his service back, his phone was broke. To which Mr. Hoffman responded with his
trademark sigh and raised eyebrow, “yeah
sure you’re phone’s broke.”

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

With “Bridgegate” looming over NJ Gov.Chris Christie’s head, donors
are abandoning him in large numbers; his favorable poll numbers are dropping
faster than the knickers of the Kardashian of the month. There have been calls
for him to step down as chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association. You
have to hand it to the Democrats when it comes to character assassination. If
they were in the restaurant business, a Three Star Michelin rating would be most
appropriate. They have managed to sully the reputations of George W. Bush,
Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and the collective reputation of Tea Party members while upholding the reputations of
inveterate liars like Bill and Hill, Harry Reid, Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi.

While Democrats squeal ad
nauseumabout the need for
bi-partisanship, the president has used executive action to foist upon us, his
model of America, albeit one that functions sans the checks and balances our
founding fathers prescribed. Mr. President, your poll numbers are as low as
President Bush’s at his lowest ebb. Why would you think the nation has any more
confidence in you than we had with your predecessor when we are still mired in
malaise. Six years into your administration! Most of us don’t see the happy
face picture paintedby your gallery of sycophants.

Now that Christie is on the ropes , the Democrats will turn
their attention to any other viable Republican presidential candidate for 2016.
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who will face a tough re-election challenge later
this year becomes a new target .

He has enjoyed a little
respite since he withstood a recall vote in 2012.This was instigated for the most part for his
steadfastness limiting the leverage of the municipal unions . He reined in
excessive spending so much so that in his recent state of the state address, he announced a budget surplus
in excess of $900 million.

Gov. Walker has come up with a novel idea – return some of
it back to the taxpayers! In this day and age of bloated government bureaucracy
how refreshing for someone to actually provide some help for the middle class
insteadof talking the intention to
death without doing a thing.

Had this been a Democratic governor, the surplus would
already be earmarked for administration to a bunch of political cronies for
another non-productive program; or beused to prop up anexisting one.

Gov. Walker has done a great service for the taxpayers of
his state. But he will certainly draw the wrath of the DNC which needs new
fodder for its wood chipping, character assassination machine.